Open Forum To Talk Puck: LA Kings vs. Phoenix Coyotes

Trent Hunter is out, Kevin Westgarth is in and Coyotes’ tough guy and Twitter Whore, Paul Bissonnette, is the reason why. Yes, the fourth line just got slower. Yes, we just got worse on both ends of the ice. But, if a fourth line enforcer is the difference between winning and losing, we are in trouble. He isn’t. We’re not.

The Coyotes are probably the best coached team in the NHL. They are fast. They are not, on paper, an elite team but they play a good team game, which is to say they skate on offense and defense as a five man unit. You don’t see too many defensive breakdowns with the Coyotes (although Chicago just did kick their frozen butts 5-2) and their defensemen do jump into the offensive play when the time is right. They can score goals and they are not shy about getting the puck between the dots and firing away. Missing from the Coyotes will be Ilya Bryzgalov who, as you know, went to Philadelphia thereby increasing his chances of one day becoming a King by 17.5%. Also MIA is Kyle Turris who pulled a Drew Doughty, except Kyle wasn’t messing around.

As for our boys, we are coming off the high of a 5-0 home victory over the St. Louis Blues. And what do you do when you are coming down from a symbolic high? You get higher.

Let’s keep the positive energy flowing and cheer for our Kings to come away with two points tonight. Want to talk about the game? This is an open forum. Let’s chat.

63 replies

Hope Westy tries to run their goalie. I know it won’t happen, but a guy can hope can’t he?

If he’s looking for a fight, Don’t ask, just wait till the goalie covers the puck, then proceed to take 5 more wacks at it. Someone will oblige. If you want Pual Bissonnette, then pick the smallest player on the ice, and drape yourself all over him till he cries. Paul will come knockin, and when he does, Knock his ass out. Skate by their bench, and start clapping like a dancing bull fighter, and say “Your next” to no one in particular.

Plenty of ways to make them fight you Westy! You got about 6 or 7 shifts to make them hate you. Do something with it.

And he did..
Will say #19 did actually have a decent shift before the
‘fight’
It is interesting that our Inforcers always are good guys..
great team spirit.. funny.. but are not posessed of much
skill..
I still miss Ivanas ..
2nd Period .. time to get on the board..
GO KINGS GO!!

yes.. hope to see some more of that.. Go Pens..
and wow.. each game.. I am so liking Mike Richards!
What a fun guy to watch.. love him with Brownie..
how did I miss him watching playoff hockey?
GO KINGS GO!!!

Coyotes have an aggressive D. They don’t want to leave any gap especially along the boards and at the point. They don’t want any time to set up a play. Let’s get that puck down low boys. Quick and accurate passes, quicker shots.

Westgarth – score one for TM (Good moves by him almost seem perverse at this point). Like Grimson, Westgarth’s game isn’t so bad when he plays it (not comparing their sparring skills).

Lewis has looked pretty good tonight – like the legitimate 4th Line center we are looking to see. Clifford – just like stretch run/playoffs, no?

Dominick, I’m thinking you were right about effects of European
trip (I doubted it at the time, since Buff. looked superb, but then we flew damn near twice as long to get there). May I suggest starting next season v. Buff. in Japan or Korea?

Feel like we were getting a lot of good effort from third and fourth line guys standing up. Love seeing Westgarth and Clifford bring the thunder. Even Penner looked like someone gave him some smelling salts.

Justin Williams has been really confident and making a lot of things happen so far this season (sometimes he tries one move too many and that will bite him in the ass but at least he’s leaving everything on the ice)

Quick saving our ass on a lot of bad clears and break outs that a top team will ass rape us for so hopefully the D can tighten it up and not rely on Quick pulling rabbits out of his can.

… My number one star of this game would be Greene. He was terrific – blocked a ton of shots, threw his body around, great positioning, no mistakes, even got an assist with his outlet pass that led to the outnumbered rush and Clifford’s goal.